Sleep

03.01.2018 Often difficulties in sleeping go hand in hand with mental health problems. Poor sleep can exacerbate low mood as you may feel less able to cope with daily stressors, more irritable and tearful. Conversely low mood can negatively affect sleep through anxiety and worry.

PTSD has a specific impact on sleep in that nightmares or night terrors cause disruption to the sleep cycle, or the individual may experience a heightened sense of awareness or alertness during sleep so they are easily disturbed by noise stimuli as the person reacts to perceived threat.

There are a number of strategies that may help improve sleep, the most important being to follow a regular sleep routine as this trains your body and mind. Mindfulness and meditation can also help sleep, counting your breath slowly in and out, or focusing on progressive muscle relaxation. The link below has many helpful tips to consider.